Aston Villa v. Arsenal – Gunners seek revenge

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Arsenal looks to regain their status atop the Premier League table with a win over Aston Villa on Monday (watch live on NBCSN at 2pm ET, online via NBC Sports Live Extra).

Arsenal enter the the match on a strong run of form, undefeated in their last five competitions. Since the 3-6 blowout at Manchester City, the Gunners drew 0-0 with Chelsea before conceding only one goal in their next four matches (West Ham, Newcastle, Cardiff City, Tottenham), all of which were wins.

Arsenal’s most recent match, the 2-0 win over Spurs in the FA Cup, was a dominant performance. While their football was played in the Gunners trademark stylish manner it was their grit determination that was most impressive, troubling the Tottenham defense without an out-an-out striker. With Olivier Giroud and Nicholas Bendtner both sidelined with injury, Theo Walcott played up top and did quite well until needing to be carted off with knee ligament damage.

It was a sour ending to a sweet performance but one that nevertheless set up the current hot topic – who will Arsenal buy in the January transfer window (myself and Joe Prince-Wright contemplate the issue in the above video). For the match against Villa, Giroud is likely to feature while Walcott and Bendtner are out. Thomas Vermaelen is also out after picking up a knee injury against Spurs and Kieran Gibbs remains sidelined with a knee injury. Long term absentee Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, however, looks ready to make his return after missing the last five months with a knee injury.

For 11th placed Aston Villa, the match represents a chance to further separate themselves from the drop zone as they currently sit just five points from relegation. Paul Lambert’s men have endured an underwhelming season, most recently capped off by a 1-2 FA Cup loss to Sheffield Wednesday. Before that Villa lost 0-1 to Crystal Palace before drawing 1-1 draw with Swansea City and beating Sunderland 1-0.

The Villains will look back with joy on their reverse fixture with Arsenal where a 3-1 victory marked the perfect open to the season. They enter the match with little excuses injury-wise as Chris Herd is out with a hamstring issue, Nathan Baker, Ron Vlaar and Joe Bennett are late fitness tests while Libor Kozak, Jores Okore and Charles N’Zogbia are long-term absentees.

What They’re Saying

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: “I wouldn’t have any hesitation on playing Oxlade-Chamberlain against Aston Villa. What is most important is that he played last night [for Under-21s] and did well.”

Aston Villa Paul Lambert: “The Arsenal match might be a good game for us because nobody expects us to get anything. They’re playing really well, they’re on a fantastic run, they are one of the best teams around at the minute and they have probably got one of the best players going in Mesut Ozil.”

Prediction

It’s payback time for Arsenal. Avert your eyes, Villains supporters, this could get ugly.

Cecilio Dominguez and Mateus Uribe each bagged a brace, and Renato Ibarra also scored as the tournament’s top team sauntered into and out of Costa Rica on Wednesday. Club America has been to seven CCL finals, and one every single one.

West Ham United will pay a visit to Dag & Red as part of the latter’s #SaveTheDaggers campaign, and the March 21 date will cost fans between $7 and $21 to see a top flight side at 6,000-seat Victoria Road.

“So please come on down to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for an additional night of football. Bring a friend, or two, or more and we can use the gate takings to help get us back on track,” reads a press release.

Dag & Red was founded in 1992 and climbed as high as League One in 2011, and plays just 2.5 miles from West Ham United’s training ground. Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle are among Dag & Red alums in the Premier League.

It’s a terrific gesture from West Ham, and is even more impressive in the United States where the growing club game is increasingly cutthroat (especially between non-synced leagues).

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AS Roma manager Eusebio Di Francesco absolutely roasted his charges after i Lupi tossed aside a Cenzig Under-inspired lead to fall 2-1 at Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.

Di Francesco had praise for Edin Dzeko, who assisted Under’s goal, as well as goalkeeper Alisson, but was mostly enraged by his side.

4) “The difference was that in the first half we tried to hurt them while in the second we were looking to hold on – to what? I don’t know.”

— “To what? I don’t know” is hilarious. Di Francesco’s side has posted some serious wins this season, including killing off Chelsea 3-0 at home and coming back from 2-0 to draw the Blues at Stamford Bridge. He doesn’t preach sitting back.

3) “There were far too many schoolboy errors – even by players with a wealth of international experience.”

— Schoolboy errors!

2) “I saw two completely different teams out there today. There were lots of players I should have taken off after we conceded the first goal.”

— Again, one mistake by a number of players on Facundo Ferreyra is enough for Di Francesco. He’s not just happy to be here.

1) “I can’t imagine we’d get arrogant just because we’re winning an important game. It’s not as if Roma are used to reaching the final every year.”

— When you’re willing to essentially rip an entire club’s history — Roma’s been to just two UCL quarterfinals since losing the final to Liverpool in 1984 — you’re putting your footprints in new cement.

Salzburg’s two away goals in a draw feels like a one-goal lead, and the one-goal matches are especially interesting. In the case of Atalanta, 1-0 to the Serie A side could undo Michy Batshuayi‘s first leg heroics for BVB.